PILGRIMAGE BLOG

On Santosha and Being Happy

One of the foundational principles of yoga is the practice of santosha. It means being content with what is. It does not mean being apathetic but instead finding satisfaction in doing your best, giving your all to any given situation or relationship and then realizing that you can’t control all outcomes.

In the yoga teaching, the Self is synonymous with bliss, with unalloyed satisfaction. The bliss of existence, which is the essence of each of us, does not depend on any outside circumstance or situation. Pure happiness is our nature.

Santosha means to be aware of that and hold that feeling in your heart. When you can feel that you are content at the deepest level, this contentment frees you from the illusion that happiness is in possessions. Happiness is your nature; it is there all the time.

Breathe consciously and discover who you truly are. In that discovery, there is peace, satisfaction, and happiness.